Leyton Returns
by LeytonTrueLoveAlways
Summary: I've gone from where One Tree Hill left off, it's been four years since Peyton and Lucas had left and now they've returned. But everything is not as it seems in Tree Hill. When is it ever?
1. Chapter One Leyton Returns

"It's time" Lucas said to Peyton, smiling at Sawyer as she played on the swing set in their yard. Her long blonde, curly hair reaching the bottom of her back, she looked exactly like her mother, except for Lucas' goofy squint. Lucas wrapped an arm around Peyton, who was also smiling at their beautiful daughter. Together, they nestled up on their porch of their house in L.A, Peyton's head on Lucas' shoulder as they watched their daughter together.

"It's time Peyton."

She leaned into Lucas, never taking an eye of Sawyer. "I know" she nodded. "I know that, okay? I just… How do we go back Luke? So much has happened to them, so much has happened to Brooke and Haley and I wasn't there to help them. And, and now we're going back? What do I say?_'Hey, sorry I wasn't here but I am now?'_ Luke… It was always me that complained that people were leaving and I left, I mean, they have to be mad? Right?"

Lucas laughed and kissed her head, breathing in her familiar scent for a moment, nothing felt better then having her in his arms. _Such a worrier_.

"_We_ left Peyton. We left _together_. Haley wasn't mad at me when I saw her, mostly she was worried about Nathan. And they understand. Brooke is your best friend! She knows that Tree Hill has a lot of bad memories for you, she knows Tree Hill wasn't your home, I was. She gets it, Peyt, she understands. And Haley and Nathan are fine. They're great, but Haley wants her best friend back and I want to go home - I need to go home, Peyton."

Peyton nodded. She knew Brooke would understand, she knew Haley was fine, she just… She was so happy in L.A with Luke and Sawyer. Protected, where no one knew who she was and what had happened, no car-crashes, no bullet-wounds, no psycho fake brothers, no almost-death-by-baby, all that she had in this new home was happy memories and she didn't want to say goodbye to that, she didn't want to leave that.

But she did want to go back to Tree Hill. She knew Luke missed his home and she missed Brooke and Haley and the record label, and she wanted Sawyer and Jamie to grow up together, and she wanted to see Davis and Jude grow up, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had left Tree Hill and all the bad memories behind, she had moved on and she was scared. Scared for Sawyer, scared that she would have to face all the drama Peyton faced.

"Hey" Lucas said and Peyton knew that as always, he was reading her mind. "Sawyer will be fine, Sawyer will be great. And you? You'll be fine too."

She kissed him. "I know - I'm just scared."

He kissed her "I know you are, but I've got ya, and I'll never _stop _being here, you know that. We both know as long as we have each other, nothing can happen."

She nodded. "I know. I know. You're right"

He flashed his smile at her, the one he only had for her. "Lets go home Peyton Scott."

She smiled at him "It still gives me chills when you call me that."

* * *

Peyton sat in the back of the Comet so Sawyer could ride up front with Lucas - Sawyer had wanted to see Tree Hill come into view and how could Peyton or Lucas refuse those beautiful green eyes - both loved her too much not to give her what she wanted. But although Peyton was happy to return, she couldn't help but fidget in the back, nervously glancing at Lucas' happy and confident face, and although she'd spoken to Brooke and Haley and they had assured her that they were okay with her leaving, Peyton couldn't shake the feeling that some damage had been caused in her quake to find peace. She was being silly, of course, it was understandable that her and Lucas took Sawyer away from where so much bad had happened but still, she felt like she'd caused irrevocable damage and she never wanted to hurt Brooke or Haley by being selfish.

"Stop" Lucas said softly, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.

"What?" Peyton asked innocently.

"Stop worrying Peyt, okay? It's okay. We've been over this a hundred times"

"I know. I know" And like always, Peyton couldn't hold in her worry. Like always, she couldn't keep what she was really feeling from Lucas. "What if they've changed? What if they don't like me?"

Sawyer let out a little laugh "Who couldn't like you Mommy?"

Lucas nodded, grinning at his daughter. "Exactly. Who couldn't like you _Mommy?_"

"Who do you _need_ to like you Mommy? You have me and Daddy and we better than like you, we love you"

"Yes" Lucas laughed. "We love you-"

"Very much!" Sawyer finished for him and Lucas and Sawyer laughed together. Peyton feeling somewhat calmer although not completely calm laughed with them. Things may have changed but she did have Lucas and Sawyer, and besides Haley and Brooke loved her too. She wouldn't hold a grudge against them if they had left and she would love them for coming back.

"There's only One Tree Hill, Peyton Scott and it's always going to be our home" Lucas whispered to her, and suddenly Peyton knew all her worries for nothing because despite it being surrounded in bad memories it was also surrounded in great ones, and there were great ones to come, Tree Hill was home because home is where the people you love are.

* * *

"Hey. " Peyton heard a familiar rusty voice call and she yanked the last box from the moving van. She turned, slowly, to see her best friend and her two oldest friends standing outside Lucas' childhood house.

"Hey" Peyton smiled at Haley, Nathan and Brooke.

There was a pause whilst the four of them eyed each other up, it seemed like yesterday they were out on the River Court writing their names, but they didn't look like it was yesterday. They looked so much older, happier, calmer.

"Come here" Nathan said - holding an arm out for Peyton to walk into and immediately Peyton's eyes began to fill. She stepped towards him, and there ensued a group hug. Brooke and Peyton sobbing whilst Nathan and Haley laughed at them.

"Hey" Lucas shouted "What is this? The party's started without me? Now that, that's no Party."

"Luke!" Haley shouted, a big grin spreading across her face but Lucas only had eyes for his brother.

"I'm sorry I didn't come for Dans funeral" He said and he reached the group, he looked guilty, ashamed. And Peyton only then realised that it wasn't only her who felt she'd let the team down, and she was ashamed that Lucas had spent so long reassuring her when he had the same fears as she did.

A look of understanding crossed over Haley and Nathans face "He killed Keith, Luke. I wasn't surprised you didn't come, and besides Sawyer was sick." Nathan shrugged and strode towards his brother to give him a manly hug. "I get that"

Lucas squinted at his brother, half smiling. "Of course you do."

"Okay" Brooke laughed turning to Haley and Peyton. "Putting aside the weird gay brother reunion going on there where is little Brooke?"

"You mean _Sawyer_?" Lucas laughed realeasing his brother and wrapping his arm around Peyton's waist whilst giving a warm smile to his best friend.

"She's inside picking out colours for her room" Peyton Said to Brooke.

"And asking where her mother is going to put all her records" Lucas smiled, kissing Peyton's forehead.

They all laughed.

"What?" Haley said to Lucas. "You can hug your wife that you've seen everyday for the last four years but you can't hug your best friend"

Lucas let go of Peyton and stepped towards Haley, giving her a bear hug. "Hey Hales" he whispered into her ear.

"God, I've missed you." She whispered back.

The whole group stood in silence, content at having the whole group back together, it finally felt like home again.

"Speaking of little ones, where are your kids?" Peyton asked Haley and Brooke, as Haley stepped back into Nathans arms.

"Julian has them - we've sort of arranged a 'welcome home' party for you"

"Guys" Peytons eyes went wide "you didn't have to do that."

Brooke slunk an arm around her best friends shoulders, and yanked Haley away from Nathan, wrapping her free arm around Haleys shoulders. "N'aw, we didn't_ have_ to, but we wanted to"

Peyton pulled them in tighter. "I missed this and I'm sorry"

"Oh, we know" Haley and Brooke said together.

"But" Haley continued "you remember that time that I ran off to follow my music career with Chris and you weren't very happy with me?"

"Yeah" Peyton said nervously.

"And _you_ said that you were _so_ sick of everyone leaving? And you gave me _such_ a hard time?"

"Yes"

"Well" Haley pursed her lips "now it's payback!" Then from out of nowhere, she threw a waterballon at Peyton. Soaking her from head to-toe.

"SUCKER!" Haley yelled at Peyton's retreating back as she ran into her house to grab a bucket of water, if Hales wanted a war, she was going to get one.

Why had she ever wanted to leave this?

* * *

"Peyton Sawyer" Julian shouted as they stepped out into Brooke's garden. "Why are you so wet? What happened to the three of you?"

Brooke, Haley and Peyton stood with their heads down, whilst everyone, including the kids, turned to stare at their parents and aunts.

"We initiated pay back on Peyton for leaving us" Haley said.

"Okay... What was that? A water fight?"

"More or less" Haley said in an offhand voice, staring into the back of the garden. "Hey Jamie! What are you doing over there? Is that Maddison? Are they- Are you? What are you doing? Jamie come and say hello to your aunt and cousin!"

Jamie stepped out of the shadows, tall and looming and nothing like the little kid Peyton remembered him as.

"What is he now? Like twenty?" Peyton joked.

"Ha. Ha. He's _fourteen" _Haley mocked as she and Brooke walked over to Jude and Lydia. Leaving Peyton alone to speak to Jamie.

"Hey aunt Peyton" he hugged her.

"Hey" She said, pushing him back so he was at arms length, giving him the once over. "You have gotten so big."

He shrugged "If you say so - hey where is uncle Lucas and Sawyer?"

"They're in the comet with your dad, they didn't want to get wet."

Jamie smiled - still a mouth full of metal. "Figures"

Just as he said it Lucas, Nathan and Sawyer burst through to the garden. Nathan was chasing Sawyer, Lucas laughing.

"Uncle Luke!" Jamie shouted, running towards Lucas. Lucas grabbed him for a bear hug.

"Hey buddy! W-o-w, you've gotten so big. What are you? Like twenty?"

"That's what I said!" Peyton gave an _I-know-right _look to Lucas. "When did we get so old?"

"Speak for yourself !" Brooke said as she carried Jude over.

"Is this Jude?" Peyton asked, wide eyed. "He's so big! Hey Jude, I'm aunt Peyton and I'm going to spoil you rotten. Yes I am"

"Isn't that what I said to Sawyer when you told me her middle name was Brooke?"

"Uhm. If I say yes will you let me take Jude home and never give him back?"

"No."

"Well, it's a yes anyway."

"Mommy!" Sawyer yelled, sprinting away from Nathan and hiding behind Peyton. Nathan, stopped chasing her and sat down with Haley and Lydia. "Mommy! I didn't know aunt Brooke was so pretty!"

Brooke handed Jude to Peyton and bent down so she was eye level with Sawyer. "That is so sweet, but do you know who is the prettiest of them all?"

"Uhm, Mommy?"

"No, silly. You are"

Peyton looked around her, Lucas and Jamie talking basketball, Nathan and Haley playing with Lydia, Julian cooking the food on the barbecue, Brooke with Sawyer, Mouth and Millie lounging in the sun, she suddenly felt sad, she should have never deprived Sawyer of this, she should have never of left. She should have stayed, stayed with her family. Stayed at _home. _

**_There is only One Tree Hill and it's our home Sawyer Scott._**


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't care Lucas. I want another baby" Peyton was shouting. It had been a year since they had moved back to tree Hill. Sawyer was happy in school, she had made friends, she loved her aunts and uncles, she loved her life there and Lucas and Peyton were happy, except Peyton wanted another child.

"Peyton" Lucas whispered her name, it was half a sob, half begging. "Your condition hasn't gone away, we got lucky with Sawyer, do you really want to push it? Do you have to be greedy?"

She turned to face him tears in her eyes, disbelief that he was so against having another child. He was leaning against the beam in the kitchen, arms crossed, glaring at her. She was standing by the sink, clutching at it as she glared right back. They were in the exact same positions they were in as when they had argued about Sawyer.

"Lucas. I want a baby boy that looks exactly like you. I want a baby boy that is _ours. _We always beat the odds. Always."

"No Peyton!" Lucas shouted, punching the beam and turning his back to her. His shoulders dipped and stared at the ground. "You didn't give me a choice when it came to Sawyer, you were already pregnant and we already loved her but this, _this, _I can't do it. I will not watch as you slowly slip away from me again. I will not sit by and watch as you get bigger only to wonder if after you give birth I will see you or the baby, losing you is not worth the risk. We have a child! If you want a boy we can adopt. You were adopted, and you are the best thing to have ever of happened to me. I love you but we got _lucky, _Peyton. _ I_ got lucky. I can't live without you and most of all, I won't. You can't ask me to do this. I won't do it. I don't care if you hate me for it, but if it keeps you alive, if you live because of it, then you can hate me all you want."

"Lucas" She pleaded, walking behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist, she pushed her head into his back. "I could never hate you, you know that, alright? But can you imagine, a little boy of our own? Sawyer having a little brother running around, we can call him Keith, Lucas, Keith and he will be _ours._"

He turned around to face her, to stare into those green eyes he so dearly loved, of course he wanted a son called Keith, he wanted that more than anything but if he had to go through watching her almost die in front of him to get that son, he wouldn't do it. He couldn't do it. "Peyton, if we are going to have a boy we are going to adopt, that's the end of it. I love you, I love you so much and I love Sawyer and _yes _I want a little boy, but not at the cost of your life. I will never do that. Would you? If I was the one that was going to die, would you be okay with it?"

"That – that's not fair!" She stammered, backing off from him. "You can't say that."

"Like hell I can't!" He was shouting again. "Would you, Peyton? If it was me that had the possibility of dying, would you let me go through with it? Would you watch me slip away again? If the first time you found me in a pool of my own blood and you had to sit with me in the hospital not sure if I was going to wake up, would you let me have another child?"

Peyton stared at him, incredulous, but she knew he was right. "No" she whispered, tears pooling over.

"Mommy?"

They both turned to see Sawyer standing in the doorway with Brooke. Sawyer looked at her dad and back to her mom.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy?"

"Yeah, Daddy?" Brooke asked, looking questionably between Lucas and Peyton. Lucas leaned down so he was eye level with Sawyer.

"Mommy and daddy are just working something out, why don't you go to your room and I will come and get you when mommy is smiling again?"

Sawyer nodded slowly, casting an eye back to Peyton before running to her room.

"You guys…" Brooke said. "_What_ is going on here? I don't want to intrude but that's not exactly what a daughter wants to see when she comes home from school, trust me, I've been there"

"Peyton wants to have another child." Lucas told her.

"What?" Brooke asked, looking between the two of them "But I thought she couldn't have children without the risk of dying?"

"She can't."

"Well then _no._" Brooke said, her voice a little raised, she stepped towards Peyton. "No Peyton! Do you have any idea what it was like last time? Are you really that selfish?"

"No" Peyton whispered. "I just – I just, I don't know, okay? I want a baby boy"

"Then adopt!" Brooke whispered harshly. "You were adopted, I was going to adopt! Peyton, I don't know if you know this but we can't lose you. Do you want Sawyer to grow up without a mom for the sake of a baby boy when you can adopt? You got lucky Peyton! Sawyer was your miracle, don't be an idiot"

Peyton took a deep breath. "You're right, both of you are right. I was being silly and selfish…"

Lucas looked away from Peyton. She didn't know, she didn't understand what it was like for him. Every day he looked at her and looked at Sawyer and imagined what it would be like if things hadn't gone the way they did, if things weren't the way they were now, who he would be if the love of his life and child were taken away from him and everyday he knows he would have survived. The mere thought of losing Peyton sent him spiralling into a dark tunnel, he _couldn't. _

"Hey, hot-shot don't you have a book to be writing or something? Give me some time with P. Scott."

"I'll go and play with Sawyer" He muttered, casting a dark look at Peyton before spinning out of the room.

"Peyton" Brooke muttered, taking her best friends hand and leading her to the sofa. "What has gotten into you?"

They sat down and Peyton stayed silent for a moment, thinking about her answer. "I want to give Lucas a baby boy. I want to name him Keith. Lucas has given me everything, I want to give him everything in return"

"Peyton" Brooke studied her best friend. "You gave Luke everything when you finally said yes to marrying him. You two have worked so hard for what you have, why are you so willing to give it up?"

"I don't know" Peyton shrugged. "I just thought, having a baby would make his life complete."

"My life is complete" Lucas said from behind her. "You know why? Because you complete it, Peyton. It's complete because of you. So can we let this go now? Please?"

Peyton nodded, her best friend gave her a wary look before standing up and saying goodbye to each of them, whispering something about looking after Peyton to Lucas and leaving.

"Are you okay now Mommy?" Sawyer asked, taking a shy step from behind Lucas.

"Yeah baby, Mommy's fine" Peyton smiled, holding her arms out for her daughter to step into them.


	3. Chapter 3

**(AUTHORS NOTE: THIS ISN'T HOW I WANTED IT TO BE EXACTLY, I DON'T LIKE THE WAY I PORTRAY PEYTON BUT FOR THE LIFE OF ME I CAN'T WORK OUT ANOTHER WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.  
****Someone left a comment saying '**_Except for the fact that Lucas never called her Peyt...and Peyton didn't talk like that. It was good writing_.' **And I feel I should explain that I had assumed after being married and living together Lucas would not still be calling Peyton by her full name, but instead will have shortened it, and to me I don't think I have portrayed Peyton that differently (except in the next few uploads where she seems quite annoying.)  
Plus these next few parts are very, very only Leyton orientated but when the whole baby situation is resolved I shall put a bit more effort in with involving other characters.  
Also I'm English so some of the words and phrases I use might seem a bit, well, English-y. Sorry about that. ENJOY!)**

"I think there is something wrong with Peyton" Haley was telling Nathan, Brooke and Julian. "She was at the office today just staring, lifelessly, out the window, she barely looked like herself"

"I dropped Sawyer off after school yesterday and her and Lucas were in an argument because Peyton wants another baby" Brooke said.

"Through adoption?" Nathan asked, Brooke shook her head.

"No?" Haley said, shocked. "After almost dying with Sawyer?"

"I know" Brooke said quietly. "She was saying the same things she had about Sawyer, about wanting it to be theirs and look like them. She was saying she wanted a boy, like she could control what gender it was going to be. I don't know, it was weird."

"You don't think there is a reason for it?" Julian asked, his lips in a hard line. After all, he had dated Peyton, he knew her well and knew she wasn't unreasonable. Peyton doesn't do things that could harm others unless there is good reason.

"Like what?" Brooke asked, frowning at him.

"I don't know" he shrugged. "But the Peyton I know normally has a reason for doing what she's doing, maybe you should talk to her, as her best friend, and find out what's wrong"

"I tried!" Brooke said, exasperated. "She said she wanted to give Lucas everything"

Haley frowned. "The Peyton I know, knew that she had given Lucas everything. Maybe I should talk to her."

"Yeah, Hales" Nathan smiled. "Or you could just shout it out of her."

"Oh shut up" Haley blushed.

"What's this?" Brooke looked between the two.

"Haley shouted at Jamie's teacher today because she wouldn't let him play basketball after he was three minutes late to her lesson." Nathan laughed.

"Haley!" Brooke laughed

"I didn't go to shout at her! I went to request that she let Jamie play and that it was a little unfair because he was only three minutes late and she told me it had nothing to do with me and that it was her rules. So I told her he was my son and it had everything to do with me and she shouted that I should get out of her class - so I shouted back."

"Well, does Jamie get to play?"

Haley and Nathan grinned.

"Of course he does" Nathan looked proudly at his wife, wrapping an arm around her waste. "Haley can be quite scary."

"Oh stop."

* * *

After dropping the kids to school - Peyton and Haley headed to the studio, Brooke to the store, Lucas and Julian to the set and Nathan and Clay to the office. They were all in sombre moods and all annoyed with Peyton. None of them had regarded her as selfish before, but begging for a child when the outcome of her fate wasn't clear made them all positive that Peyton was being incredibly selfish.

But at the same time, not one of them understood why Peyton wanted another child - hell Peyton didn't even know why, she couldn't rationalise or explain it, she just knew that she wanted a baby boy. She had argued internally with herself for days. Why does it matter where he comes from as long as he was theirs? And it's not like she could choose the outcome of the gender, but when Peyton looked deeper within she found that she wanted to give Lucas a baby Keith and she wanted it to have Keith's DNA, but the idea of surrogacy was too painful for Peyton, it made her feel unworthy of a child, and honestly what was wrong with adoption? Like everyone had pointed out, _she_ was adopted.

Yes, everyone was annoyed with her, including herself.

"What are you thinking about?" Haley interjected Peyton's thoughts.

"About how selfish I'm being" she gave a weak smile, Haley said nothing to console her.

"Is the idea of adoption really that bad?"

"No" Peyton shook her head whilst Haley sat on the edge of Peyton's desk.

"Then why are you so against it?"

"I don't know, you know? It's so hard to explain. I mean mainly it's because if we have a boy I think he deserves to have Keith's DNA"

Haley blinked at her friend. "Okay Peyton, I get that, I do. But what is the point, if you go through all this and you _and _the baby die? Lucas is beside himself, lost and scared and you don't seem too pleased. What are you going to do Peyton? Live nine months horrified that you and the baby will die? Watch Lucas panic at every turn? Look into Sawyers eyes and know that soon you won't look into them again? What's the plan because none of us can see it. I understand that feeling to want another child and I count my blessing that I get to have Lydia and Jamie, but Peyton, this is your _life _we are on about. This is Lucas' life. We all assumed that Sawyer was your last miracle. And okay, all right, we can look at all the things you and Lucas have survived but you have never willingly entered those situations. You're not invincible Peyton, and frankly you're being stupid."

"I-I" Peyton stuttered and stammered but she could say nothing to her friend, because her friend was right. As always.

* * *

Peyton climbed into bed next to Lucas, resting her head on his chest, he wrapped his arm around her, stroking her hair.

"Okay?" he asked.

"I don't know" she said softly, hugging him tighter. "Luke, I have this really odd sensation that we are meant to have another baby." He stiffened beneath her and said nothing. "It's so hard to explain. My world is so complete and I'm so happy, but I feel like it's our job to bring a little Keith into the world."

Lucas let out a long breath. It was so hard not giving Peyton what she wanted, but it was easier to say no when he flashed back to sitting at her hospital bedside, scared and alone and Sawyer being nameless.

"We'll adopt a little boy with blonde hair and green eyes and call him Keith." he told her again. "Or we can look into surrogacy?"

She shook her head. She was either going to have the baby herself or adopt. She was warming to the idea of adoption but she wasn't fond of it. "Luke, what's wrong with me?"

Lucas let out a little laugh and kissed her forehead. "I have been asking myself that since I spoke to you by the lake."

She playfully slapped his chest. "Shut up"

"You're just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch" he jokingly said and they both laughed together.

"Adoption" she said, the words rolling out of her mouth. "We'll look into adoption"

"Really?" he asked, he felt like fist pumping the air.

"Really. But Lucas if we fail please tell me you'll consider having another child"

"Okay" he whispered.

Although they both knew that there was no way in hell Lucas would consent to having another child with Peyton, nothing was worth her life.


End file.
